Issue - meetings
Library Gateway Report
Meeting: 17/12/2013 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Environmental Services) (Item 30)
Report of the Director of Older People
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Further to Minute No. 71 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 5 December 2013, the Committee considered (a) the report of the Director of Corporate Services, which set out the decision of the Cabinet on the above matter and the reasons given in the two requisitions for call-in; and (b) the report of the Director of Older People to the Cabinet in relation to this matter.
The Chair of the Committee, Councillor McKinley, reported on the procedure for consideration of the three petitions received and the first and second call-in requisition.
The Senior Democratic Services Officer, Mrs. Ruth Harrison, reported on the validity of the first and second call-in and highlighted that both the first and second call-in requisitions:-
· had been received within the specified call-in period in accordance with Chapter 6, paragraph 37 of the Constitution;
· had been signed by three Members of the Council who were not Members of the Cabinet, in accordance with Chapter 6, paragraph 38 of the Constitution; and
· referred to a specific decision made by the Cabinet and provided a reason in accordance with Chapter 6, paragraph 40 of the Constitution.
The Committee considered the comments of Mr. Steve Deakin, Head of Health and Wellbeing, on the background to this matter and both Councillor P. Dowd, Leader of the Council and Councillor Moncur, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools, Families and Leisure, addressed the Committee in relation to the Cabinet decision.
The Chair reported that three public petitions had been submitted for consideration at the meeting prior to the two call-in requisitions.
The Committee heard representations from Mr. G. Winckles of the Friends of Carnegie Library on behalf of a deputation who had submitted a petition containing the signatures of 29 residents of the Borough which stated:-
“We the undersigned request that a spokesperson from the Friends of Carnegie Library, Crosby, (FOCAL) be permitted to address the above Committee with regard to the evaluation process and decision made by Cabinet on 5 December 2013 concerning the Library Review”.
The Committee then heard representations from Mr. M. Bleasdale, Secretary of the Aintree Library Action Group on behalf of a deputation who had submitted a petition containing the signatures of 27 residents of the Borough which stated:-
“We the undersigned request permission for Marcus Bleasdale, Secretary of ALAG, to address the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 17 December 2013 regarding the proposal to run the library services in Aintree, Melling and Surrounding Areas”.
The Committee then heard representations from Mrs. G. Bleasdale, Chair of the Aintree Library Action Group on behalf of a deputation who had submitted a petition containing the signatures of 27 residents of the Borough which stated:-
“We the undersigned, request permission for Gwen Bleasdale, Chair of ALAG, to address the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 17 December 2013 regarding the proposal to run the library services in Aintree, Melling and Surrounding Areas”.
Councillor Papworth, outlined and amplified the following reasons for the first call-in requisition which ... view the full minutes text for item 30
Meeting: 05/12/2013 - Cabinet (Item 71)
71 Library Review - Alternative Library Proposals: Second Gateway Assessments 
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Report of the Director of Older People
Minutes:
Further to the representations made under Minute No. 70 above and Minute No. 22 of the meeting held on 18 July 2013, the Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Older People which provided details of the second gateway assessments undertaken by Officers on the Community Library proposals submitted by the Aintree Library Action Group (ALAG), Bridge Inn Community Farm and the Friends of Carnegie Library (FOCAL). The report identified the process of assessment together with the advantages and disadvantages associated with each proposal for consideration by the Cabinet.
The report also indicated that the proposal submitted by the Consortium led by Sefton Council for Voluntary Service in respect of Birkdale Library had been withdrawn by the Consortium as they were considering a number of alternatives; and that no other interested parties had come forward in the timescale set by the Council for the receipt of Community Library proposals.
The Chair referred to the advice previously given to community groups who wish to run library services in locations where closure had previously been agreed by the Council, that the proposals had to be feasible and sustainable, meaning that the proposals would not have recourse to funds from the Council in the medium and long term.
The Head of Health and Wellbeing advised that officers had applied the approved assessment criteria to the proposals submitted by the three community groups and the assessments set out in the report were based on all the information supplied by the groups. He indicated that there was a typographical in the table in paragraph 3.4 of the report and that the total score for FOCAL should read ‘360’ and not ‘365’. He also indicated that an expression of interest had been received since the publication of the report from the Friends of Birkdale Library but the expiry date for the submission of proposals had expired.
The Head of Health and Wellbeing referred to the basis of each proposal and the advantages and disadvantages of each proposal, set out in the report. He indicated that one of the key concerns with the proposals submitted by ALAG and FOCAL was the financial sustainability of the proposals over the long term. In particular the reliance upon an annual revenue grant from Aintree Parish Council that could not be guaranteed as an on-going commitment for the ALAG proposal. He went on to state that the proposal from FOCAL could not demonstrate financial sustainability, and in order to succeed both proposals required capital investment from the Council. He also indicated that during the period from 13 March to 26 November 2013, officers had held 20 meetings with various community groups, dealt with a large volume of email correspondence and telephone calls. He also indicated that numerous meetings had taken place with trade union representatives and staff on the community library proposals, and the whole process of acting upon the Councils budget decision to close 7 of its libraries, which demonstrated that officers had been actively engaged with the whole ... view the full minutes text for item 71